Vacant Spot
by ShindaHotaru
Summary: Once their long missed brother had returned to them, all that mattered to Ace was to know them both on a safe path with the right people. / Equipped with the diary Chopper gave him, Luffy tries to cope with the loss of his oldest brother. (Warning! sensitive content)


_Dear Diary_

 _I… where do I start? -this is still so weird- I'm not used to this… I… anyway, remember how Sabo turned up like two years ago? how we thought he was dead when he wasn't and just had memory loss and how he remembered when he found out about Ace's accident_

* * *

"If I had known this is how to get you back, I would've let that car hit me earlier!" Ace laughed hollowly but his excitement over his brother's return nonetheless true. Caught between blankets and mattress and in a broken and bruised body, he held his grin with all the strength he could master.

"I bet so!" Sabo laughed in response, his voice vibrant from the feelings stumbling over each other in his chest.

Their little brother joined in, standing by the end of the hospital bed with both hands gripping on the handle. Could he drag Ace home, he would, but despite his sibling's state, he couldn't even hold himself up without support. Days without proper sleep but worry, _fear_ , were forcing him into defeat.

"It's not funny!" his girlfriend snapped from behind them, _he could be dead_ sounding in her silence.

Sabo sighed heavily, then turned towards her, "Would you mind waiting outside? I know you're here for Luffy but I can keep an eye on both of my brothers…"

She blinked in surprise at the warm smile and the soft voice, brushing a ginger strand behind her ear with a shaky hand. "...no…" Though willingly leaving—she couldn't take her eyes off her boyfriend and his fortunately recovering brother, one of her closest friends as well.

Once the door was shut, Luffy let himself fall into the armchair by the corner. Finally, he could give in without putting more worry on Nami's shoulders.

"She deserves credit for taking so much care of you while I'm stuck here," Ace decided, a soft frown on his forehead watching his little brother fighting exhaustion.

"I know—promised to take her out once you're fine again." Luffy hung his head over the headrest, arms and legs sprawled out. Coming here every day from ten to eight for two weeks had kind of turned this hospital room into a second _home._

Sabo settled into a chair at the bed's side opposite from the younger man's, close enough to Ace to keep their dignity intact. "You shouldn't wait that long—I'm here to help with things, too."

"And Law said there's nothing to worry anymore. I'm not brain dead or paralysed or whatever," Ace added in a rough voice. His usual level of stamina was slowly returning to his body, a little too fast for his mind to catch up. Must be Sabo's presence, he figured.

"Fine, fine," Luffy gave in, dragged his sleepy body out of the chair and minded to leave, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"He's so going to fall asleep on her," Ace grinned at the closed door.

* * *

 _Everything was so great! We found this apartment and moved in together. Nami wasn't really happy about it but I wanted to live with my brothers at least until Ace would recover_

* * *

"When's the wedding?"

Sabo lowered the newspapers, gaze now focused on the front door at which Luffy had just said goodbye to his girlfriend after a nightover.

"Don't give me that, Ace! We've not even moved together!" Luffy defended himself vehemently on his way to the fridge to get a glass of milk.

"Well, maybe you should. You're with her since middle school and you're both in College now. She's _still_ into you," Ace countered, bringing up his reasons. "And I _know_ she's waiting."

Luffy put the glass down on the counter, his motions now slower. The image of Ace simply wanting him out of the house on his mind again. He couldn't take it anymore. "If you want me gone, just say so and I'll leave." Not even waiting for a reaction, he bursted out of the kitchen.

"Luffy! That's not what Ace meant…" Sabo left after him, again feeling responsible for the peace between the brothers.

Alone now, the oldest of them remained in his spot in the darkest corner of the room.

* * *

 _we had this huge fight once. Ace wouldn't stop asking me when I would move out to live with Nami and I just couldn't… I mean why would he even annoy me about it? Back then I wouldn't understand what was going on but Nami told me the other day why Law wanted to keep Ace longer in hospital than necessary and… it all makes sense now._

* * *

Numb from the cold air, Ace had little mind to protect his fingers from the harsh weather—let alone his feelings. They were standing outside their home, the last box being loaded onto the truck. It was one of these days he hated his quick recovery.

"Don't pull that face, I'm only moving four blocks away. Your sub even passes through there," Luffy spoke to him with a soft and warm voice. The temperatures were abnormally low.

"And I'm sure you'll be calling us every day," Sabo laughed, "Can't wait for SOS calls at night!"

Luffy pouted, still the wide smile spreading on his face couldn't be stopped anymore. He seemed so happy to move out and live on his own. Their little brother had grown up. "I'll be fine—you'll see!"

* * *

 _Sabo told me later how Ace had become quieter and that they had stopped spending time together almost right after my move out. At first it didn't worry him, well we all thought he was okay… Ace, i mean. but there were so many things we didn't see because we… we never looked for them, you know? I hate myself for that. He went to work as usual and he had lunch with Nami between classes. I guess he fooled us just right._

* * *

One of the rare opportunities and Sabo simply had to grab it. "Now that Luffy's room is empty, I thought we could have someone else use it. None of us does anyway, it's just vacant."

The other man didn't look up from his bowl of soggy cereales, his spoon was swirling them for quite some time now. No reaction from their consumer but Sabo knew he was listening.

"I asked Koala if she wanted to move in with us and use that room as her study but she insisted that I confirmed it with you first. But you two are getting along so well, so—what do you say?"

Motion broke with the shadows in the corner of the kitchen, their initiator rising their head with a smile splitting the blank face. "Sure, why not. I like her a lot."

Sabo smiled back, ignoring the claws scraping over his heart. "Great. She'll be a contribution to our lives."

"Anything to know you happy."

* * *

 _I sometimes wish I would've never moved out. So Koala wouldn't have moved in with them and… she wouldn't have been the one to… you know what I mean. I can't repeat it, I mean you're just a book and only I'm reading this—I don't have to explain everything._

 _Anyway, I have to stop now, gotta hurry_

* * *

"You okay, Luffy?" A hand brushes his shoulder and he knows instantly it's Usopp who wants to do so much more than he's convinced about is in Luffy's favour.

Luffy nods, forcing a smile he does mean. "Have you seen Koala?"

"I thought she wanted to arrive with Sabo—isn't he here already?" Robin interjects in a calm and neutral tone. She's hiding herself behind the planning, anyone knows and everyone lets her. "Maybe she's with Jinbei."

Taking that idea into consideration, Luffy sets off through the crowds of people—family, theirs and Ace's, mutual friends and those for Luffy's and Sabo's support, co-workers, classmates, heck, even half the neighbourhood they grew up in—so many people are here that it seems grotesque. A man who has always felt lonely and unwanted is loved by hundreds of people. _Did he know?_

None of them were surprised to receive the massive loads of mail and acceptance letters to their invitations—a lot of them wouldn't have even needed one, truth be told, they forgot to mail some people and they still arrived. Luffy tries to keep his feelings at level but the large number of attendants to pay their last respect to his oldest brother crushes everything he has been fixing back together the past few days.

It takes a while to reach through to his other brother. The farthest onto the grounds from them all, he stands next to his girlfriend with an arm wrapped around her for support and in front of one of their mutual friends. Jinbei has been a close friend to them all throughout the years and one of the first to show up and take over the arrangements.

"I'm sorry, I'm late," Luffy apologises once he reaches the group of three and halts next to Jinbei. "It took a while to… get ready."

Jinbei shakes his head, "No need to be sorry. You're here, that's what matters."

A nod of agreement from Sabo soothes him eventually. His only tension remains due to the sight of the woman holding onto Sabo's side as if she was to drown without his hold. No one knows how long it will take any of them to recover from the loss but they promised to help her through hers. They wouldn't do the same mistakes twice.

"So," Sabo starts off, his voice strong but the next words reveal how hollow it actually is, "shall we?"


End file.
